


Seven Feet

by Ash2411



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Billy Hargrove Deserves Better, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Violence, Eventual Relationships, Family, Friendship, Horror, Multi, Mystery, Past Abuse, and that's what this fic is born out of, gross things, i miss billy already basically, i'm still laboring under the impression that he'll somehow return, scary stuff, stranger things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-09-28 23:37:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ash2411/pseuds/Ash2411
Summary: It's been four months since Billy Hargrove died at the hands of the MindFlayer. It's over. Time to move on. He isn't coming back...Or is he? Max isn't ready to say goodbye to her brother and her neighbor is getting increasingly suspicious about the circumstances of his death. Max and her friends are holding the darkness at bay, but how long will they last before things get turned upside down again?





	1. Chapter 1

** _SECURE RESEARCH FACILITY, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _ **

_**JULY 5th 1985, early hours of the morning.**_

Doctors and scientists surround a bed where a body lies still. They cut the bloodied shirt away from the body and examine the wounds present, each oozing thick black blood. 

“Puncture wound present in the center of the chest cavity appears to be the main cause of death. Limited damage to the cardiac muscle. It appears as though something was dislodged from the body, but it’s still unclear what.”

The doctor adjusts his glasses and peers at the arms. “Lacerations present on the right arm, possibly from glass.” He scans the still face and notices how young the victim is, but shakes his head and continues on. “Laceration on the cheekbone as well, consistent with the ones on his arm and hand. Multiple puncture wounds along the abdominal cavity.” 

“Well?” Asks a larger man, donned in a crisp military uniform. He’s a high ranking officer and this makes the doctor sweat a little. 

“Well, I’d say the body is still within our window. Typically more than 20 minutes at regular body temperature equates brain damage to the subject. However, due to your quick thinking and putting him on ice...But, well, we’re in uncharted territory sir-”

“Can it be done or not?”

The doctor takes a few moments to reply. “I think whatever was inside him is lingering. I believe that’s why his blood is still black. Whatever it was left something behind. I think if we use a few...unique techniques, yes. It can be done.”

“Do it then.”

“The results can be unpredictable…”

“I understand the risks. I don’t care what you have to do, just do it. And do it quick.”

The heavy door swings shut behind him as he leaves the room. The doctor closes his eyes, mentally preparing himself for what’s ahead. He looks down at the body one last time. 

“I’m sorry, kid,” he murmurs. Then he begins to hook the body up to various machines, carefully, methodically.

* * *

  
** _HAWKINS, INDIANA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA_**

_**NOVEMBER 12th 1985, evening. **_

“Maxine, we’ve been through this.” Susan says quietly. 

“Yeah and no one is listening.” Max mutters under her breath. 

“It’s been 4 months. It’s time. Neil needs these things out of here…”

“You mean he _ wants _ these things out of here.” 

Susan looks at her hands and smooths down the front of her dress. “Your father and I are going out. Look, if you don’t say anything, you can look through these things and keep a few of them. You probably knew him better than anyone.” Her voice quivers slightly. “Try and box up what’s left. I’ll take care of the rest tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t call him that.” Max snaps. “He’s _ not _ my father.”

Heavy footsteps sound in the hall and Neil appears in the doorway. “Maxine, did I hear you raise your voice? You know better than to speak to your mother with that tone.” His voice is even, but Max can feel the tension beneath his calm words. 

She turns away from him and looks out the window at the slowly setting sun. “I’m sorry.” She hears him sigh with discontent, but he doesn’t say anything else on the matter. 

Once they’re gone, Max shuts the door to the bedroom and falls to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. The room still smells like a mixture of Marlboro reds and cologne. The comforter on the bed is still wrinkled, as though he’d just gotten up and would be back later. Half full and empty boxes sit on the floor, waiting to be filled and closed, but Max isn’t ready to say goodbye. Part of her keeps waiting to hear the roar of the Camaro or his loud music through the walls, or even his deep, rough voice calling her “shitbird” as they argue over how long she can stay at the arcade. 

She looks into one of the boxes that’s already been partly filled and sees the collar of his denim jacket peeking out, stained with someone’s lipstick. She shakes her head and pulls it out. Billy had been wearing this very jacket the day she’d met him. For a moment she just holds it, then she slips it over her small form. It swallows her, the sleeves falling to the tips of her fingers. She rolls them up and starts to go through the records he’d compiled. Metallica, Van Halen, and Duran Duran stare up at her. She puts on one of the discs and sits on the floor again, pulling another box towards herself.

* * *

Kit looks through her bedroom window to the house next door. A single light shines through the window, but the blinds are drawn. Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove’s car is missing from the driveway, so she knows it’s just Max inside. For months now, the light in that window has remained dark for the most part. Sometimes in the middle of the night, when Kit wakes up to use the restroom, she’ll see the light on and wonder. Billy’s car never returned that night. She’d seen it leave, July 4th, and it never came back. It wasn’t until the next morning that she heard that the Hargrove’s only son had been killed in an explosion at Starcourt Mall. According to the news, it was a terrible accident, but Kit had seen the helicopters flying overhead that night. Strange things had been happening in Hawkins for years now and this was most definitely one of them. For the first two months afterwards, any time Neil and Susan went out they’d pay Kit 15 dollars to come over and watch Max for a few hours. 

She slips her jacket and boots on and climbs out of her window to walk next door. It takes a few minutes for Max to come to the door after she rings the bell, but when she does Kit can tell she’s been crying.

“Kit?” Max says, then she opens the door a little wider and lets her inside. 

“Hey, Max.” Kit says, smiling. She slips her boots off and hangs her jacket on a hook by the door. “Are you listening to Metallica?”

“Um...yeah. I mean, it was Billy’s.” Max says, looking down. “Did you need something?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you out on your skateboard. I saw the light on and the car gone and thought I’d come check on you.” Kit says. 

“Did my mom call and ask you to check on me?” Max says, crossing her arms. 

“No, Max.” Kit says with a short laugh. “I just thought maybe you needed company.”

“Don’t you have any friends your own age?” Max asks, raising her eyebrows. 

“Yeah, but none of them are even half as cool as you.” Kit says, shrugging. 

Max shakes her head. “You’re weird.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kit responds. They stand in awkward silence for a moment before Max breaks it. 

“My parents are getting rid of Billy’s stuff.” She says, her voice quivering. 

“Yeah?” Kit responds, quietly. 

“Neil says it’s taking up space they could be using for other things.” Max says. 

Kit can tell by the tone of her voice that Max believes otherwise. “What does your mom think?”

“I don’t know. You know she’s not going to say anything to Neil.”

“It’ll be okay.” Kit says. “When my sister died, my mom wanted everything out. She said she couldn’t stand to live in a time capsule...But, I kept a few things. And after awhile, things got easier.”

Max looks up at her, tears in her eyes. “I’m not ready though.”

Kit’s heart twinges with a familiar sadness. “I know.” 

“Billy was an asshole sometimes, but he wasn’t a bad person, Kit. Neil always acts like Billy...like he deserved to die or something.” Max says, rubbing her thumb along the hem of the jacket she’s wearing. “And he didn’t. He just had some problems. But, he was my brother. And he saved my life that night. He saved everyone.”

Kit listens in silence, but at that she asks, “Max, what happened that night?”

Max doesn’t meet her eyes. “You saw the news. You know what happened.”

Kit knows better than to push for answers. Instead, she wraps her arms around Max and rests her cheek on the top of her head. “Max?”

“Yeah?” 

“Why do you smell like a teenage boy with a smoking problem?”

Max laughs a little. “Because I’m wearing one’s jacket.” 

The sound of a car engine rumbling outside reaches their ears. Kit lets go of Max so she can peek out the front window. “Shit. I think that’s Neil’s car coming down the road.”

“Language.” Kit jokes. 

“You’d better go. My parents are back and I didn’t get some things done I was supposed to.”

“You sure you don’t want me to stick around?” Kit’s heard the yelling before.

“No, you’d better get out of here.” Max says. “Just go through my window.”

Kit slips her shoes and jacket back on. “If you need me, you know where to find me.” 

Then she slips out the front door and runs across the lawn back to her house as Neil’s car pulls into the driveway. She climbs through her window back inside, but it’s a long time before she’s able to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s never alone and he’s always being watched. He can’t even take a shower alone. There’s always a guard outside. His hair is getting stupidly long, his curls hanging in his face. Four months ago he may have cared. Now all he cares about is getting out of here. He listens even when they think he isn’t. And he watches them almost as closely as they watch him.”

** _SECURE RESEARCH FACILITY, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA_ **

** _JULY 5TH 1985, EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING_ **

A storm rages fiercely outside, but the sound is muffled by the reinforced walls. The doctor paces, watching as blood filters through the body lying in front of him. Black filters out as red filters in. The wounds have been stitched up and a concoction has been injected into the body to speed the healing process and manage pain. Because there _ will _ be pain. When he’s finally conscious, all he’ll feel is pain for awhile. 

The doctor looks down at the chart, triple checking his work. _ Hargrove, Billy. _The name stares back at him, the font black and crisp. Billy’s heart begins beating mere moments after the fresh blood is pumped into his body. Another machine forces air in and out of his lungs through a mask. His eyes move beneath his eyelids and his fingers twitch, but he’s still unconscious. The doctor sighs heavily. He needs to speed the process. He knows he’s being watched and if he can’t produce results, it may cost him his job. Billy’s blood oozes into the bandage across his cheek, but its neither red nor black. It’s a muddied mixture of both. The doctor checks Billy’s heart rate then he does something he was hoping he wouldn’t have to. 

He takes a vial of green liquid and primes it for injection. One deep breath. Two deep breaths. Then he finds a vein in Billy’s left arm and slides the needle beneath his skin. For almost a full minute nothing happens and the doctor begins to sweat again. Just as he turns away, he hears a choking noise and whips around. 

Billy begins to convulse and struggle against the air being pumped into his lungs. Then his eyes snap open and he screams in agony. The hair on the back of the doctor’s next raises as he watches it all unfold. Billy reaches up and yanks the mask off of his face, gasping. He looks down at himself, shaking, and yanks the IVs out of his arms and hands. Then he turns and sees the doctor. A beat and then-

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Billy yells, launching himself off of the bed. The restraints around his wrists snap like cheap string and his hands are around the doctor’s neck before in seconds. He slams the doctor into the wall. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? WHERE AM I?”

Tears stream from his eyes as he shakes the stunned doctor. The door swings open and two armed guards stream in. Billy drops the doctor and turns to slam his fist into the jaw of the one closest to him. He runs for the exit, but the second guard is already there. Without a second thought he headbutts him and vaults over the body, running into the hallway. He has no idea where he is though. Everything looks the same; an endless hallway of doors and no windows. He whips around, struggling to catch his breath, confusion assaulting his brain. He takes off again, running, but he doesn’t get far before more guards appear, leaping on him and tackling him to the ground. 

“No!” He screams. “Where the fuck am I? Where’s my sister? LET ME GO.”

Then he feels a sharp pain in his neck and the world goes dark again. 

* * *

  


When he awakens, he finds himself in a small cell with nothing but a bed and a toilet. His whole body hurts and his mouth feels like it’s full of cotton. He tries to stand, but his legs are weak and he falls back down onto the bed. 

“Don’t worry.” A voice says from the other side of the door. “Only a mild sedative. It’ll wear off soon.”

“You’d better hope it doesn’t.” Billy spits out. 

“If you’re not going to remain calm, I’m not going to talk to you, Mr. Hargrove.”

“Where the hell am I?” Billy asks, roughly. He surveys his body, flexing his fingers and toes. “What happened? Where’s my sister? And the girl?”

“One question at a time.” The voice says, “You’re in a secure facility where we test...oddities. For the government. Difficult times lie ahead of us. Russia looms ever closer.”

“Where. Is. My. Sister?” Billy growls. 

“She isn’t here. None of them are. Just you.” 

Billy’s eyes fall closed in relief. He opens them again and looks to the shadow outside the door. “What do you want? I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Not supposed to be here. How do you mean?” The man outside asks. 

“I mean I’m not supposed to be here. I died.” Billy says, panic beginning to rise in his chest. 

“So you remember?” 

Billy stares at the wall ahead of him, but his eyes are unfocused. 

_7…feet...A little girl with brown eyes. Blood on his hands and in his mouth. Ice inside his body. A shadow. Darkness _everywhere. _Max’s tears falling onto his chest. Her voice screaming his name. Indescribable pain. His hands in its throat. It’s teeth in his stomach._ _His mother’s voice telling him it’s okay to let go…_

“Something was inside me…” Billy murmurs. “A shadow. That...thing.”

Tears form in his eyes. He doesn’t want to remember. He wants to forget. He’s done so many unforgivable things. He isn’t meant to be here...He’s supposed to be dead. 

“Well, it’s a start.” The voice breaks into Billy’s thoughts. “Get some rest. We’ll begin tomorrow.”

“Wait- no! Begin what?” Billy gets up and stumbles towards the door, weakly slamming his fist into it. “Let me out. Let me _ out!” _

He pounds his fists against the door over and over again, but no one ever answers. It’s a long time before he ever gets any answers. 

* * *

The tiny cell becomes his home. Meals are slid to him through a slot in the bottom of the door. He tries to jam his hands through, but they only ever grasp air. He screams for hours until he’s hoarse. Then he lays on the small cot and stares at the wall. The only thing that brings him relief is knowing Max isn’t in this place. Whatever’s going on, it has to do with what he’s done. This is his punishment. Not just for all the lives he took, but for the times he should’ve been a better brother, a better friend, a better boyfriend, a better _ person _. Anger overtakes his sadness. He’s supposed to be dead. He gave his life for the little girl who saved him. That girl, no older than Max, that cleared away the shadows long enough for him to fight his way to the surface. 

Guards come in and out, always tackling and sedating him, and drag him to the little room with the machines and tubes. They take his blood. They test his physical limits. They send shock waves through his brain until he’s screaming, until the corners of his mouth begins to bleed. Sometimes he sees things; a dark world pulsing with horrors, a mirror of his own world. Other times he only sees a thick impenetrable blackness, staring back at him. 

He’s assaulted with questions. They wring him dry. _ What happened July 4th? And the week preceding it? Why did it choose you? _ He asks himself the same question and the same answer always floats to the surface of his mind. _ Because I’m bad. There’s something dark in me. _ It eats at him. He can feel himself losing it. They cut his skin and watch him heal. They ask him about the girl with brown eyes, but he never answers. _ I don’t know. I don’t remember _ he tells them. 

He wonders where Max is, what she’s doing, if she’s safe. He knows she can’t be safe under his father’s roof, but at least she’s alive and she isn’t in this particular hell. He wants answers, but they never give them. The days feel endless and the nights are cold. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months. Once, as he’s being dragged into yet another room, he catches someone talking about the chilly air outside. Summer is long gone. _ Thanksgiving _, one of them says. 4 months he’s been here. 

He’s never alone and he’s always being watched. He can’t even take a shower alone. There’s always a guard outside. His hair is getting stupidly long, his curls hanging in his face. Four months ago he may have cared. Now all he cares about is getting out of here. He listens even when they think he isn’t. And he watches them almost as closely as they watch him. 

“Do you know why you’re here, Billy?” It’s the man with the smooth voice. The one from his first night in the cell. Brenner. They’re sitting in a white room at an empty table, the way they always do on Saturdays. Brenner calls it a “weekly check-in.”

Billy’s eyes bore into Brenner’s. The scientist drops his gaze and repeats the question. “So you can torture me?” Billy answers. “Because you get off on torturing kids and teenagers?”

Brenner laughs and Billy has to strongly resist the urge to throttle him. “You’re serving a greater purpose. Every experiment we’ve conducted, every bit of information we’ve gleaned from you, has proved integral to our understanding of the world below us.” 

“Hell? Pretty sure that’s right fucking here.” Billy says. His eyes never leave Brenner’s face. _ Never show fear. Always maintain eye contact _. He hates himself for remembering his father’s angry words. 

“The thing that inhabited your mind, its known as the Mind Flayer. It’s home is a sort of…mirrored version of our world.” 

“Fascinating.” Billy tries to feign disinterest, but he’s listening carefully. 

“We saved your life so that you could save others’ lives.” Brenner says, a sly smile working its way onto his face. “Your blood and your abilities mean we can harness its power. Your accelerated healing and heightened strength are residual. We could’ve expelled them from you, but instead we allowed you to keep them.” 

“You mean you forced them on me.” 

“We gave them to you, Billy.” Brenner says, sharply. 

“I don’t want them. How about I use my heightened strength to shove my accelerated healing right up your ass?” Billy growls. 

“Without them, you’d die. Do you want to die?” Brenner asks, seriously. 

The truth is, Billy isn’t sure. Does he? Did he? “I wanna go home.” 

“You have no home in Hawkins. Your family didn’t come looking for your body. They didn’t even hold a funeral for you.” Brenner says. “_ This _is your home.” 

“Screw you.” Billy spits out. Brenner’s words hurt in ways he desperately wishes they wouldn’t.

Brenner barely spares him a glance. He turns to one of the silent guards. “Take him back to his room until he proves he can behave like an adult.” 

“Fuck this.” Billy’s rage boils over. “Fuck you. Fuck your guards. Fuck your experiments. And _ fuck _that cell you just called a room.” He yanks at the cuffs and chains around his wrists, linking him to the table. 

“I had a daughter like you once. She was taken from me. But, she was all fire just like you. And just as ungrateful.” Brenner says, standing up and facing the other direction. “Eleven. You’re not the first obstinate child to go through this program. The first of your origin, maybe…”

“Eleven huh? What kind of name is that?” Billy asks. He subtly tugs at the chains around his wrists again and feels the steel bending at his insistence. 

“She was the eleventh child. The last that I took. Before you of course. But, she was taken from me in Hawkins. One day, I’m hoping she’ll return.” 

Billy stops tugging for a moment. “She was in Hawkins?” 

“I believe she still is.” 

Something in Billy’s mind clicks into gear. Memory meets thought inside his head and he puts two and two together. “You mean the girl it wanted.”

“Yes. The very same.” 

Another surge of anger shoots through Billy. “She’s just a kid.”

“She’s special. Different than the others. But that’s not your concern…Guards?” 

He motions towards Billy and one of them moves forward to administer the sedative necessary to move him without incident. 

“What’s the matter, doc? Don’t you trust me?” Billy taunts. 

He has to get out of here. Whatever they need him for, it isn’t good, and he isn’t sure how much longer he can take this. And if this guy is after the girl who saved his soul...well, he can’t let that happen. The guard is coming nearer, the chains are bending just enough, if he could just garner a little more strength. He’d kept Brenner talking long enough for the previous sedative to wear off this time. This may be his only chance…

The needle is coming closer. He gives a hard, quick tug, then- ** _CHINK._ **

The chain breaks free from the table and Billy slings it around the guards neck and pulls back towards himself. The needle falls to the ground as the guards hands fly to his throat. Billy’s arms flex and strain as the guard struggles against him, but he’s no match for an eighteen year old boy with enhanced strength. 

Brenner turns and tries to run for the syringe, but Billy kicks at the table and it slides across the small room, knocking Doctor Brenner to the floor. Billy drops the unconscious guard to the ground and picks up the needle, walking towards Brenner who’s groaning on the ground. 

“You’re making a mistake.” He snarls. 

“It’s not the first time.” Billy says. He easily holds Brenner down and plunges the syringe into his neck. Within seconds Brenner’s eyes fall closed. Billy rummages in his pockets for his identification card and car keys. He finds both and yanks the door open, looking into the hallway.

He’s listened and watched enough to know which way is out- or at least which direction to head in. He makes it a few feet before a guard comes into the hallway. Billy freezes as the guard starts to raise his gun, then he runs as fast as he can, grabbing the gun out of the guards hands and slamming it into his face. Blood spurts from the guard’s nose and he falls to the ground. Billy’s hands are slick with blood and he quickly rubs them on his shirt, trying not to spiral. Another guard runs into the hallway as an alarm begins to sound, but Billy is faster this time. He slams the guy’s head into the wall and takes off running. He swipes Brenner’s key card at every door he comes to, running up flights of stairs until finally, he sees a window and knows he’s made it to the ground floor. Gunfire sounds behind him and he ducks, then throws himself through the glass pane of the window. He hits the ground hard but scrambles to his feet, knowing that if he stops for just one moment, it’s all over. 

His breath is coming in great gasps. A bullet grazes his arm and he cries out. “Shit!” Then he’s scaling a fence and jumping down the other side. He can see a line of cars. Just a few more feet...he’s nearly there. He can hear footsteps on the pavement behind him.

Then he realizes he doesn’t know which car is Brenner’s. 

“Fuck!” He exclaims, flinging himself behind a car. He fumbles with the keys, looking for a name embossed in the steel. He finds it and cautiously peers around, looking for the right car among at least 50. He’s running out of time. 

By the time he sees it, someone is almost on top of him. He raises up just as they pass, knocking them off their feet and onto their back. Then he slams his foot down into the guy’s face, knocking him unconscious. Gunfire reaches his ears again and he makes a break for it, running harder than he’s ever ran before. He bangs into the side of Brenner’s car and pulls the door open, climbing inside. He has only a second to revel in the feel of a steering wheel beneath his hands before he’s revving the engine and slamming his foot onto the gas. Bullets ricochet off of metal, but he’s already on the move. Thirty miles per hour, fifty, seventy...he crashes through the barrier...ninety…

No one can stop him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Max had always had a complicated relationship with Billy. There had been times when she’d almost idolized him; his coolness, his devil-may-care attitude, like nothing bothered him. Other times, she’d hated him more than anything. Almost as much as she hated Neil. Billy scared her in other ways. He’d not yet hardened into the man Neil was. He was more sensitive than he let on and still possessed emotions other than anger, although that was the one he responded to most of the time. Billy was reckless and selfish. He was deeply unhappy and didn’t want to be alone in that. Any time Max made a friend, he’d do something to isolate her. If he had to be trapped in that house, he didn’t want to be alone in it anymore. Misery loves company and Max understood and often resented him for it. 

Billy was her constant companion and sometimes her greatest fear. He was unpredictable, but never cold, like Neil. Billy was all fire; a constant angry fire, always burning and sparking beneath the surface. Sometimes she’d catch fire too and they were like partners in the same circle of hell. Until they left California, Billy had only been careless and sometimes mean, but in Hawkins, he’d shifted somehow into someone who wasn’t just full of fire, but was crashing and burning and couldn’t stop. Any time Max tried to extinguish it, it only turned into her putting more fuel onto his flame. 

She meant what she said, when they argued in the car about why they were stuck in Hawkins. It _ was _ Billy’s fault. He’d lost control and done something Max had a very difficult time forgiving. He’d hurt a boy he thought liked Max. He’d hurt someone who’d stood up to him on Max’s behalf. Billy broke his arm and that was the final straw- he’d crossed a line he couldn’t uncross. Even Billy had realized it, but he’d done nothing to right the situation. He’d only began to hate himself and others even more and he took that anger and hatred out on the only person he felt like he could- Max. She understood _ why _ Billy was so angry. He was in pain. He was constantly beaten down by a man who should’ve loved him and he was abandoned by his mother, the only person who could’ve helped him. It didn’t make what he’d done okay. It didn’t make Max any less devastated by the things he had done. 

But, that night when they’d trapped him in the sauna, she’d seen the Billy that used to flick the end of her nose and offer her cigarettes even though he wasn’t supposed to. She saw the Billy who’d stood in front of her like a brick wall when Neil was angry about something. The Billy who sat outside with her under the street light after Neil had gotten angry at her and told her to sit outside while everyone else ate dinner, was _ still there _. He was broken, she could see, but was he beyond repair? That very question ate at her every time she looked at him, but that night at the Starcourt Mall, she received her answer. 

No. He wasn’t beyond repair. Against all odds, he resisted the Mind Flayer. He’d resisted when no one else could. Eleven told Max exactly what had transpired between she and Billy that night. So, Max knew. The little boy left behind was still there and he’d risen to the surface and saved their lives, but he’d given his own in the process. His sacrifice showed Max that he could let go of the pain and anger he’d harbored for so long, but it also meant he’d never really get the chance to. 

* * *

  
“Maxine?” Neil calls into the house. 

Max is back in Billy’s room with the door shut and locked. Tears are already gathering in her eyes as she pulls on Billy’s old fingerless gloves he’d worn for Halloween last year. She still remembers the sound of his body hitting the floor when he’d arrived home. He’d dropped her off and never returned to pick her up. She’d been so mad at him at the time. It all feels so trivial now. The arguing and bickering. The tussles, the name-calling, all of it was so stupid now. 

She remembers the first time she’d seen Neil hit Billy. It had horrified her. She can feel the linoleum under her knees if she concentrates really hard. She can see the blood dripping from Billy’s lips and hear his low voice telling her to get away from him. At the time, she’d thought he hated her, but now she understands. He didn’t want her in Neil’s line of fire. Sympathy for Billy automatically meant defiance against Neil and that was unacceptable. Fear and weakness are death warrants in this house. 

Max is tired of it all. 

“My name is Max.” She says to the door, loud enough that she knows Neil can hear her. Footsteps sound in 

the hall and she sees the door knob twist. 

“Maxine, open this door.” Neil says, his voice dangerously cool. 

“No.” Max says, firmly. 

“Max, darling…” She hears her mother say timidly. 

“You stay out of this Susan. I’ve had just about enough of Maxine’s nonsense.” Then he directs his words towards Max again. “I’m going to give you until the count of three and then I’m going to open this door. Do you understand me?”

“Why bother waiting until three?” Max says. Almost as soon as the words leave her mouth Billy’s door crashes open and thumps against the wall. 

Neil surveys the room, boxes still sitting empty on the floor. Then his eyes find Max, standing in the middle of the room, donned in Billy’s old jacket and gloves. “Take those things off.”

Max shakes her head, her eyes never leaving Neil’s. Her heart is pounding and she feels a little light headed, but she plants her feet and stands her ground. Anger surges through her as she stares him down. _ This _man is responsible for every bad thing that’s happened since he came into her life. 

He made Billy into a monster of sorts. He’d turned the two of them against one another. He’d taken her away from her home and her real dad. He’d steam rolled over her mother. And now he was trying to erase the only person who saw him for what he was and stood up to him because of it. 

“Maxine, take the goddamn jacket and gloves off.” Neil says, careful and controlled, but Max feels the poison beneath it all. 

“Stop trying to get rid of him.” 

“Who?” 

“Billy.” Max says, fighting the fear rising inside her. 

“That piece of shit excuse for a man is gone. And all the garbage he left behind is going too.” Neil growls. He stomps forward and yanks at Max’s arm, trying to pull the jacket off of her. 

“Get off of me!” Max screams. She looks towards the doorway and what she sees there hurts far worse than the feeling of Neil’s fingernails digging into her arm. Her mother has already left the room. “This is your fault! You’re the reason he’s dead!” 

“Billy is dead because he caused too much trouble. He probably planted the bomb that blew up the mall. He was always bad and this household...is better off without him in it.” Neil’s says, spit gathering in the corners of his mouth. “And if you don’t get yourself in line you’re going to end up in the same boat.” 

“I’d rather be dead than spend another second listening to your BULLSHIT.” Max yells. The instant she says it she almost wants to swallow the words back down. 

Neil’s hands are shaking with anger. For a moment, one insane moment, she thinks he’ll drop it all and leave her alone. But then he closes his eyes, huffs out an amused breath and she knows she’s done for. He smacks Max so hard across the face her ears start to ring. He lets go of her arm and she falls to the floor, her teeth rattling. Unbidden tears fall from the corners of her eyes. 

“He’s dead because you couldn’t be a father to him. Ever. He told me that once. That you weren’t a father to him and you wouldn’t be one to me.” Max sobs. “And he was right. And now he’s gone.”

“Billy is dead because he was out of control and got himself killed.” Neil says, loudly. 

If Max didn’t know any better she’d think Neil’s voice was quivering with something like grief, but she _ does _ know better. “Billy saved me and my friends.” She wipes at the tears falling down her cheeks, angry at herself for crying and angry at Neil for making her cry. Most of all, she’s just angry that Billy didn’t know a world outside of Neil’s tyranny. 

“Clean this mess up.” Neil says. Then he leaves her crying on the floor alone. 

* * *

Kit can hear the yelling from her bedroom window. She tries to stay calm, but her heart is racing. She paces back and forth, waiting for it to be over. She knows she’ll have to wait until the Hargroves are asleep before she can get to Max. If she goes over now, it’ll only make things worse and that’s the last thing Max needs right now. She thinks of calling the cops, but she’s scared Neil will talk his way out of it all. He’s good at lying and pretending to be an upstanding American citizen. It makes Kit want to kick his teeth down his throat. 

“Kit?” Her mother calls softly. 

“Coming.” Kit says. 

Her mother is sitting on the couch, eating a tv dinner. “You want anything to eat, baby?”

“No, thanks.” Kit responds. “I’m not hungry. I’m going to go and check on Max.” 

“That’s kind of you.” Her mother says. “But, do you think you should be getting involved? That family is...troubled.”

“I’m just checking on Max again, okay? I’m not getting involved in anything.” Kit says. Then she slips into her boots and jacket and leaves before her mom can protest. 

The Hargrove’s porch light is already off and it’s dark out. The only light comes from the little bit shining out from between the blinds of Max’s window. She knocks softly and the blinds raise to reveal a red faced Max, tears streaming from her eyes. Rather than ask what’s wrong Kit climbs through the window and wraps her arms around Max’s shaking figure. She rubs her back in consistent soothing circles until Max catches her breath and pulls away. It’s then that Kit realizes there’s a bruise blooming on her jaw. 

“Jesus, Max.” Kit reaches out and turns Max’s head to get a better look. “Did Neil hit you?” 

“How’d you know?” Max says wiping her nose with the back of her hand. 

“I’ve heard the yelling.” She responds. Her mind goes to Billy. She’d only seen him a few times as he stormed from the house next door, but there was something about him that looked the way a scream sounded. “I’ve also heard glass breaking. Neil likes to look like a real nice guy, but I’ve seen the type. He doesn’t strike me as someone that would leave a mark where everyone can see it.” 

Max shakes her head. “I’m always covered in bruises from skateboarding. No one will notice a thing...but he’s never done that before.” Her eyes look to the doorway where across the hallway Billy’s room lies in darkness. “Not to me.” 

“He do it to Billy?” 

“When didn’t he? He was always hard on Billy. I don’t know what things were like for him as a kid...I didn’t know him until he was older, but they can’t have been good.” Max tucks her hair behind her ears. “I miss him. I know that’s stupid because he wasn’t always nice, but, I don’t know…I loved him. He was better than everyone thinks.” 

Kit smiles. “You saw something in him others maybe didn’t. You’re mature, Max. And you’ve got a knack for figuring people out. Besides, he was your brother.”

“Not really.” Max sighs.

“Max.” Kit says, squeezing her shoulders. “He _ was.” _

Max nods her head and rubs at her eyes. 

* * *

Billy winces and looks down at his bicep as he’s driving. He’s still bleeding where the bullet lodged itself into his skin. He feels sick to his stomach now that the adrenaline has passed and has to pull over next to a road sign to empty the contents of his stomach.

He winces again, pulling himself up from the ground. The air is chilly and wicks away some of the sweat clinging to him. When he’s finally able to stand, he looks at the road sign illuminated by the headlights of his stolen car. _ Oklahoma City, 2 miles _, it reads. He realizes he’s driven seven hours without stopping. 

“Fuck…” Billy breathes. When he starts the car the gas light comes on. 

All those years of messing around in California with the two idiots he used to call friends finally pays off. When he gets to Oklahoma City he drives around until he’s sucking fumes and sees a huge dark house with a car sitting outside it. He parks on the street, knowing it’s risky, but feeling incredibly desperate to keep moving. When he reaches the car he lets out a quiet exclamation of surprise. “Hollllly shit.” He runs his hand down the side of the black 1980 Chevy Corvette gleaming in the moonlight in front of him, for a small moment feeling more like himself than he has in a long time. He takes the shoelace out of one of his shoes and ties a loop in it, then he slides the string under the door frame of the drivers side until it falls over the lock. Tightening the loop, he gives it a firm tug and a satisfying _ click _ reaches his ears as the door unlocks. He smirks and drops into the driver’s side, catching the key as he flips the sun visor down. 

The engine purrs under him and he throws the car into gear and peels away. He stops for food, dishing out cash from Brenner’s stolen wallet, and washes his hands and face in a tiny truck stop bathroom. He pulls off the worn gray sweatshirt he’s been living in since he was taken from Hawkins and looks into the dirty mirror above the sink. Billy’s reflection is startling. He’s thinner than usual and his skin has lost the rich tan he gained from working as a lifeguard. His curls are straggly and drab, absent of the golden streaks the sun brings out in them. It’s his chest and back that are truly jarring though. He’s seen his skin countless times as he changes from one gray sweat suit to the next, but he hasn't looked at himself in a mirror in months. His chest and back are marred with thick pink scar tissue, proof that he should be 6 feet under right about now. His throat starts to feel tight and his eyes begin to sting, but finally he looks away and puts his shirt back on.

He counts down the hours and stays in small hotels across the midwest. He’s never been so tired before. The only thing he can focus on is getting home. _ Home _. The word tastes sour in his mouth, but then he thinks of Max and...Eleven. El. He has to get back to Hawkins and warn them. A year ago he would’ve cut and run, gone to California instead Hawkins, but he isn’t that person anymore. At least he hopes he isn’t. 

When the roads start to curve and the air begins to smell like farmland he knows he’s getting close. Anticipation rises inside him and he taps his thumb against the steering wheel. He wants out of this glorious car so badly. His knees hurt from all the sitting and his right ankle hurts from having his foot poised over the gas pedal for a total of 20 hours. It’s taken him 3 long days to get here, with minimal stops when he needed them. Billy decides he needs to ditch the car before he gets to close to Hawkins, so he pulls over onto a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and leaves the car. Before he tramps into the woods lining the road, he pats the hood in thanks, the heat from the engine warming his hand. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy returns to Hawkins, much to Max's surprise...and Kit's!

A few quiet days pass in the Hargrove household. The week, despite having to go to school, provides some relief to Max. It means Neil goes to work and her mom can finally breathe without Neil’s constant control and criticism. Max has at least a whole eight hours away from home. Nights are a bit more difficult, but she decides to stay in her room until dinner and Neil pretends she doesn’t exist. 

Max eats hurriedly then goes to her room to radio Lucas. Ever observant he’d noticed her bruise right away and questioned her, but she’d told him they couldn’t talk about it until later. However, she dances around the subject as much as she can, much to Lucas’s vexation. 

“Max...did your stepdad do it?” 

“Shhhhh!” Max says into the radio. “Yes, but Lucas, look...he’s never done it before. I don’t want you to get in trouble and we both know that if anyone says anything he’ll just deny it.”

“Max...I feel like we should tell someone. My parents or -”

“Listen, in a few years I’ll be out of here. I can handle it until then.” Max replies, but even she can hear how unsure she sounds. 

“This doesn’t feel right. I don’t like it.” Lucas says. She can hear how upset he is over the walkie talkie and for a second wishes she hadn’t said anything at all. 

“I’ve got this. I need you to trust me.” Max says.

“I do...but I think things are getting worse. Ever since Billy…” Lucas’ voice drifts off, but Max knows what he means. 

“I’m fine, Lucas.Okay?” Max says, her voice hard. “I’m fine. I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

They say their goodbyes and Max climbs into bed, burying her face in her pillow. She rolls over and looks at the necklace hanging on a nail above her bed. It’s an antique gold pendant with Mother Mary holding her newborn child in her arms. 

“I don’t know what to do anymore, Billy.” She says, but the pendant just hangs there forlornly. “What am I supposed to do? I wish you were here.”

Finally she falls into a fitful sleep filled with shadows and monsters. 

****

Something outside her window makes a crashing noise and Max sits up in bed, her heart racing. The clock next to her bed reads 3 a.m. It’s quiet for a moment, before she hears another noise, one that sounds like someone... _ swearing _ ?

“Lucas, I swear to god, if that’s you…” Max grumbles, swinging her legs out of bed. She quickly walks to the window, opens the blinds, and slides it open. “Lucas, how many times do I have to-”

But, then she realizes that it’s not Lucas outside her window. A split second passes where she stares at the stranger’s darkened face and then she screams. With surprising speed the man pulls himself over the window ledge and lands roughly on top of Max, covering her mouth with his large hand. Max bites down hard and he grunts in pain. 

“Calm down!” He whispers, frantically. “Jesus, Max, it’s me.” Max continues to struggle, elbowing him hard in the ribs. He struggles to hold her still, his hand still over her mouth, her legs kicking in the air. He curses himself for showing her a few self defense moves a couple of summers ago. “Max, it’s me! It’s Billy! Shut up! You’re going to wake up Neil and Susan!” 

Suddenly, Max stops kicking and lies still for a moment. She looks up at the man hovering over her, disbelief coloring her features. She squints at him in the darkness, her eyes adjusting, until finally she sees a pair of eyes she thought she’d seen for the last time 4 months ago. They both sit still, listening for a pair of heavy footsteps, but when they never come, Billy eases his hand away from Max’s mouth and sits back on his feet. Max scrambles into a sitting position, struggling to process what’s happening.

“Is this a dream?” Max asks. 

“I think you mean nightmare.” Billy grouses, a grin spreading across his face. “And no, Mad Max, it isn’t.”

Before he can say anything else, Max launches herself towards him wrapping her arms around his neck. Startled, he freezes. He can’t remember the last time anyone hugged him, let alone Max. The feeling is foreign, but he slowly wraps his arms around her small frame and hugs her to him. Her hair smells like the baby shampoo Susan still buys her, even though she hates it. He swallows down the lump in his throat, his eyes swimming in tears. He can feel Max’s body shaking with sobs and he doesn’t know what to do, so he just holds her tighter and rocks her back and forth a little. 

“Shhh.” Billy whispers. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” 

“How? How are you here?” She asks, her voice muffled against his shoulder. 

“It’s a long story.” Billy says, reluctantly letting her go. “You can’t tell Neil and Susan I’m here though. Or anyone else.” 

“Why? Tell me what happened!” Max says, wiping tears out of her eyes. “What happened after Starcourt? How much do you remember before that? Where have you been?”

“Whoa, kid. One at a time.” Billy says, with an amused huff. “And you can’t tell anyone because it’s not safe right now. For any of us.” 

“Okay.” Max agrees, nodding. 

She stands up and moves towards the bed to sit down, motioning for Billy to follow her. He barely takes one step before someone careens through the still open window and knocks him to the ground. She quickly stands and points what looks like some kind of gun at him. 

“Stay down, asshole!” She says. The thing she’s holding crackles with electricity. 

“Kit, no!” Max yells, running over to her. 

“Max, go and get someone. Call the police!” Kit says, her stun gun still steadily trained on Billy’s chest. 

“Sorry, who the fuck are you?” He asks from the floor. 

“Who the fuck are _ you _ ?” Kit shoots back. “And what are you doing in this house?”

He can’t see her features clearly in the darkness, but he can tell she’s dead serious about shocking him, so he stays still. He sticks his hand out like he’s asking for a hand shake. 

“I used to live here.” Billy responds, roughly. “Billy Hargrove. Nice to meet you.” His sarcasm is evident. 

“Bullshit.” Kit says. “Billy Hargrove is dead.”

“No, Kit! Put that thing down! It’s Billy. It’s  _ actually _ Billy!” Max exclaims, flipping on the light. 

Billy covers his eyes as the room is bathed in light and Kit does the same. When they each move their hands away they look at each other, carefully. Kit looks vaguely familiar to him, like someone he’s seen in the background of a photo, but never actually noticed. Kit, however, clearly recognizes Billy. 

“Holy shit….No. No no no. No. No way.” Kit says, stepping back towards the window. “What the fuck?”

“Look, it’s a long story, but he was just about to explain-”

Heavy footsteps halt the conversation. “Oh, shit.” Billy says, scrambling up from the floor. 

“Quick! The closet!” Max says frantically, shoving both Billy and Kit towards the tiny space. “And stay quiet!”

Kit and Billy cram themselves inside, struggling not to invade each other’s space, but it’s impossible. They’re almost nose to nose. Kit looks right into Billy’s clear blue eyes, a question in her own, but she doesn’t ask it. He raises his finger to his lips and listens hard. The door slams open. 

“What the hell is going on in here?” Neil snaps. 

Billy flinches against Kit when the door hits the wall behind it. They can’t see, but Billy can imagine the scene on the other side of the closet door. His heart is pounding and he hates how despite all of the horrors he’s witnessed and taken part in, his own father is still the thing that scares him the most. He braces a hand against the wall to one side of Kit, trying to steady his breathing. She looks at him and then back at the door, understanding flowing through her. Kit places a hand on his outstretched arm. 

“It’s okay.” She mouths. 

Billy shakes his head, anger rearing up inside him. Who does this girl think she is? She doesn’t understand a damn thing. It’s  _ not _ okay. It’ll never be okay. Not while guys like Neil walk the earth turning their sons into monsters and daughters into timid girls afraid to speak their minds. The physical contact and warmth from her hand does what she intends for it to though; it calms him enough to stop him from bursting out of the closet. 

“Sorry.” Max says from the other side of the door. “I was having a nightmare.”

“I heard voices.” Neil says, eyes sweeping the room. 

“It was just me.” Max says. “I’m sorry. I was trying to calm myself down.”

Billy tenses and waits for Neil to dispute Max’s claims. He hears Neil’s footsteps walking around the room, getting close to the closet. He closes his eyes, begging whoever’s listening to just let Neil walk past. To Billy’s surprise he does.

“Well, go on back to sleep then.” Neil says, his voice still laced with suspicion.. “I’ll turn the light out.”

“Thanks.” Max mumbles. The bedroom door closes with a click and Kit moves to open the closet door, but Billy grabs her wrist and shakes his head. The floorboard outside Max’s bedroom door creaks, Neil still hovering on the other side of it, then his footsteps slowly recede down the hall.

Billy opens the door and stumbles out, sitting down on the ground, putting his head in his hands. “I fucking hate small spaces.” 

Kit and Max look at one another, unsure of what to say. “Sooooo…how are you alive?” Kit asks, perching herself on the side of Max’s bed. “No offense, didn’t you die a few months ago?”

Billy just looks at her. “Who exactly are you again?” 

“You can trust her. Her name’s Kit. She lives next door.” Max says, folding her arms. “Besides, she knows you’re here, what’re we gonna do, shove you back out the window and pretend she didn’t see anything?” 

“Come on. She doesn’t  _ know _ anything.” Billy says, widening his eyes. “About  _ anything.  _ We should probably keep it that way. _ ”  _

“You mean about what really happened at Starcourt? I mean, it’s pretty evident that there was some kind of cover up in the news since you’re... _ not _ dead?” Kit interjects. 

Billy looks over at her. He knows why he recognizes her now. He’s seen her outside on her porch or walking down the street a lot at night, but he’s never spoken to her before tonight. “Look, whatever it is you think happened, is definitely not what happened. So, why don’t you just launch yourself back out of that window and forget you ever saw me?” Billy says, pointing at the window. 

“Excuse you?” Kit says, laughing, clearly not intimidated in the slightest. 

Billy blanches and looks at Max. 

“Kit, I know this doesn’t make sense, but...I don’t have time to explain right now and neither does Billy.” Max says. “Please, don’t tell anyone you’ve seen him.”

Kit looks at Max and sees the relief and confusion struggling for precedence inside her. She can also see the elation quivering beneath the surface. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” Max confirms. 

“Okay. I won’t tell anyone. But, I want to know what’s going on.” Kit says, folding her arms. 

Max nods her head. “In the morning. Billy probably needs to get some sleep.” 

Billy meets Max’s eyes and nods. He has no intention of telling this girl anything though. She’s a stranger and besides, the more she knows, the more danger she’s in and he can’t be responsible for another innocent person getting hurt. Not again. Not ever.

“Billy, you can stay at Kit’s house. Her mom works nights.” Max says. 

“ _ What?”  _ Kit and Billy say in unison. 

“Shhh!” Max says, listening for Neil or Susan again. “We can’t do this right now. It’s not safe. Please, Kit, he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. And it’s not safe for him here.” 

“Max, we  _ cannot  _ drag her into this.” Billy says, ignoring Kit. “I told you, it’s not safe for anyone to know I’m here, let alone keep me in their house.”

“Kit doesn’t know anything about... _ that _ ...and she said she wouldn’t tell anyone about you being alive and I trust her.” Max says. “And it’s not like you have any other options, I’m assuming.” 

She raises an eyebrow, waiting for his response, but he doesn’t know what to say. She’s right of course. He looks over at Kit. 

“So, let me get this straight.” Kit says. “You supposedly died in an accident at the mall 4 months ago, but now you’re alive, I don’t know shit, and I’m supposed to…let you stay in my house.” 

“Please, Kit.” Max says, her hands clasped together under her chin. 

“Forget it.” Billy says. “I’ll figure something else out. I don’t want to stay with a complete stranger anyways.”

“Look, kiddo. I love you and you’ve been through hell and I promised I’d always be here for you.” Kit sighs, meeting Max’s eyes. “So, I’ll do it.” 

Max throws herself into Kit’s arms, squeezing her tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

Billy watches this unfold, feeling a little mystified. Kit looks at him over Max’s shoulder. “Sorry, but I'm not going to hug you.” He says, trying for nonchalance, but falling short. 

“Good.” Kit responds. “You smell bad.”

Max turns her giggle into a cough. She hugs Billy tightly. “I’m so glad you’re alive, asshole.”

Billy closes his eyes, hugging his little sister. “Thanks, shitbird.” It’s not an  _ I love you _ , but for them, it may as well be,.

“Now, go. And get some rest. You have some serious explaining to do in the morning.” Max says. She hugs him one more time before shoving him towards the window. He climbs out and waits below for Kit to follow. 

“Billy, wait!” Max says, running back to her bed. She reaches above the headboard and pulls the pendant down, then reaches into her bedside drawer for something else. When she returns, she reaches through the window to press the two things into Billy’s hands. It’s his necklace and his ring, the only two things he has of his mother’s. “I thought you might want these back.”

Billy closes his fingers over the two items and holds them to his heart. “Thanks. I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Max says with a small, sad smile.

“Max, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but if I’m going to keep your not-dead brother in my house, I need some more information.” Kit whispers before swinging her legs over the windowsill. 

“I know.” Max says, looking nervous. “Tomorrow.” 

Kit nods and and ruffles Max’s hair before dropping to the ground. Billy follows Kit across the yard to the small house next door. His curiosity gets the better of him and he finds himself looking Kit over as she walks in front of him. The last time he’d seen her, they’d both been in school. She’d always been quiet in class and kept to herself. Her hair is longer, but still dark and shiny. Until tonight he’d never noticed her eye color. He’d never even truly spared her more than a glance. He definitely hadn’t expected her to have such an attitude...or to be able to throw her weight around like she had. Neighbor girl is full of surprises. 

Once they’re in Kit’s room she shuts the window and closes the blinds.”Welcome, I guess.” She says, shoving her hands in her pockets. “My mom works nights, like Max said, but you’ll need to be out of here pretty early. She gets back around eight.” 

Billy nods. “Thanks, by the way.” 

“I’d do anything to help your sister.” Kit responds. 

“How do you know, Max?” He asks, feeling protective and wary. 

“After you...died, your dad and Susan asked me to look after Max when they couldn’t, which ended up being pretty often. She had a really hard time dealing with things. We’ve spent a lot of time together in the past few months. She’s a tough cookie. And she loves you, you know.” 

Billy blushes and looks away from her. “I don’t know about that. We weren’t ever as close as we could’ve been. I haven’t exactly been an award winning big brother.” 

“So, I’ve heard, but clearly Max thinks you’re worth a second chance. No one’s perfect.” Kit says. Then she softens. “I can tell she’s over the moon. It’s been really difficult for her to live in that house without you.”

Billy nods, a lump rising in his throat again. He clears it and tries to speak. “Yeah…” 

“Anyways, zombie, some of us have to work tomorrow, so do you mind looking away while I change and get in bed?” 

“I can leave the room…” Billy says, flustered. 

“Nah, you’re good. Turn around, Hargrove.” Kit says. 

Billy does as she says, utterly perplexed. “You’re weird as hell, you know that right?’

“I’m not the one who died and came back to life and smells like they’re still in the grave.” Kit says behind him. He hears her rustling around and then she says “You can turn around.” 

“Do I really smell that bad?” 

“Showers down the hallway on the left.” Kit says by way of response. “Feel free to use whatever’s in there. Clean up after yourself though. I’m going to bed, but you can come back in here to sleep. Lock the door behind you in case my mom gets back early and checks on me. And flip the light out.” 

“Um...alright.” Billy stammers. “Thanks, I guess?” 

“You can sleep in the bed, but stay on your side. And if you snore...well, don’t.” Kit says, but she’s smiling a little.

Billy shakes his head. He’s never met anyone like Kit before and he can’t decide rather she drives him insane in a good way or a bad way yet. “You sure?” 

“Did I stutter?” Kit asks. “I don’t mind. Really. It’s a lot better than the floor and you look like you’ve been sleeping rough.”

“Okay.” Billy says, then he makes his way down the hall of a strange house where a strange girl lives and take the longest, hottest shower he can stand. 

* * *

When Billy gets back to Kit’s room, he locks the door like she asked and stands nervously with a towel around his hips. Kit’s laying on the bed, the covers up to her neck, pillows stacked down the middle of the bed like a barrier. Billy grins and shakes his head, perplexed by the sudden change of events in his life. 

“Um, Kit?” Billy says, softly. 

“There’s a pair of sweats on the dresser. Just hang the towel on the back of the door.” She mumbles, half asleep. He sees them and quickly hangs the towel up and pulls them on. Then he tip toes across the room, switches the light off and climbs into Kit’s bed. 

“Try anything and I’ll chop your hands off, Hargrove.” Kit says, rolling over. 

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Billy answers, attempting to sound like he couldn’t care less about sleeping next to a pretty girl. “You’re not my type.”

The sheets are soft and smell fresh and a little herby. Billy wrinkles his nose at the unfamiliar scent, but finds that he kind of likes it and nuzzles into the pillow a little. At first, he doesn’t think he’ll ever fall asleep, his mind racing with all the things he needs to tell Max. His heart warms at the thought of her. It’s only been a few months, but she already looks taller...older somehow. Maybe she looked like that before and he’d just never properly took notice. She’s growing up fast. He rolls over, his back to the wall of pillows and closes his eyes. He can hear the gentle flow of Kit’s breath, soft and comforting. It’s been so long since he’s slept or even breathed in the same vicinity as someone who didn’t want to use or hurt him. He lies there a little longer in the quiet night, until he lets himself fall asleep to the sound of Kit’s breathing. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
